Fermentation Festival-Meet the Makers

Not a season, month or really week goes by that I do not feel completely blessed to live near the culinary dream town of Kennett Square.  I love this vibrant little borough so much I posted a love letter to Kennett Square on my blog a couple of years ago-complete with a facebook album of my favorite Kennett moments.  The "mushroom capital of the world" is full of delicious treats thanks to places like the Country Butcher,  the Mushroom cap, La Michoacana ice cream and nationally renowned Talula's Table.  Autumn is particularly rich in food and drink celebrations; a time when busy Kennett Square hosts the Mushroom Festival, the sold-out Brew Fest, and my personal favorite the Fermentation Festival. 

Now in its fourth year the Fermentation Festival-a project of the Kennett Square Farmers Market-will take place this Friday, October 28th from 2-6PM at the Kennett Square Farmers Market (just off of State Street).  From bread to beer, coffee to wine, cheese to local spirits, kimchi to kombucha, sauerkraut and pickles--fermentation enhances our lives and palates in all kinds of delicious and healthful ways.  Come celebrate these magical and effervescent processes at the festival this Friday.

In addition to the delicious ferments, how-to's and regularly available fresh and local produce, an exciting new "course" in fermentation will also occur this Friday from 4:30 to 8PM in conjunction with the Festival.  "Meet The Makers" is a collaboration between the Kennett Square Farmers' Market, Historic Kennett Square's Brewfest and Talula's Table focusing on the delights of fermented products.  Samplings of local cheeses, brews, wines, spirits, and ciders will be offered from 4:30 to 8:00 pm in the Brick Alleyway off East State Street, alongside La Verona Restaurant.  Local cheesemakers and craft beverage artisans will talk about their creations.  Participants will also have the opportunity to socialize, relax and enjoy live music by local favorites Scott Birney and Steve Hobson of the Sin City Band. 

 

Inform your palates about all the wonderful products that are brewing up right in our very own backyard. $10 tickets for the "Meet The Makers" are available at the gate on Friday or prepuce online at http://www.kennettbrewfest.com/makers.html

 "Meet the Makers" Event Details 

Where: Brick alleyway adjacent to La Verona restaurant (directly across from the Farmers' Market, next to the "Flash")

When: Friday, September 28th, 4:30-8:00pm

What: Taste and chat with the artisans while sampling local food and drink craft: cheese, brews, wines, spirits & cider.

Featuring Tastings by:

Amazing Acres Goat Dairy

Art in The Age Spirits

Argilla Brewing Company

Birchrun Hills Farm

Doe Run Dairy

Flickerwood Wine Cellars

Frecon Farm Cider

Highland Sheep Farm

Forest and Main Brewers

Meadowset Farm & Apiary

Pike Creek Roasters

 

Quaker City Mercantile - Spodee Wine

Round Guys Brewery

Yellow Springs Goat Dairy

Al fresco flights of local cheese paired with seasonal accoutremants by Talula's Table  

 

Hope to see you Friday enjoying the magic of fermentation.

 

Fermentation Mother--Happy Birthday Cintra

Long before it was trendy or hip, my mother was a practitioner of home fermentation. I have lots of childhood memories of some sort of bubbling, brewing, living culture tucked away in the corner of the kitchen, under the woodstove, or adding a sour odor to her own special brand of refrigerator ecology. I remember the frothy fizzy gallons of cider that used adorn our counter tops-looking like something from a mad scientist's lab, all expanded and occasionally blowing their lids. Her bread made out of the left over porridge would rival that of any European bakery. Her yogurt cheese added a gourmet element to many a meal. We were lucky children and I did not even know it, it was like growing up with the female version of Sandor Katz (wild fermentation expert).

Fast forward some 25 years, and Cintra is back in full swing fermentation mode (during our early teenage years Cintra went back to work, and with less time to tend to these living cultures, abandoned much of her home fermenting projects). When the kombucha craze hit the East coast, Cintra was one of the first to order a little mother a.k.a SCOBY. She quickly turned that tiny jelly fish-looking "mushroom" into a thick large pancake-like mass, remenisent of a creature out of a horror movie. Her special fermentation powers have produced many a healthy SCOBY baby, which she has passed on to friends and family. Pictured below is her old school yogurt maker, a scoby baby that she is about to give away, and some raw cider she is "hardening."

Today is my mother's birthday. Its a big one (I won't say which). I thought on this day all about celebrating her life, it would be appropriate to share some of her fermentation favorites, bringing culture and life to the food around us. As amazing as Cintra is at all these creative and delicious forms of ferments, she has a hard time explaining the "what" or "the how to". It is almost as if she has some sort of fermentation sixth sense. Lucky for the rest of us, there are some great resources online. Enjoy the links below.

Great Food in Jars posting on Creme Fraiche

How to Make Yogurt website (recommended on the Wild Fermentation site)

The Fresh Loaf--An online community for amateur artisan bakers and bread enthusiasts.

Wiki-how on Kombucha

Happy fermenting and Happy Birthday Cintra!

Adventures in Fermentation

Wow, what a difference a week can make. Its hard to believe that last weekend I was enjoying the warm weather, basking in the rosy glow of fall sunshine and the ferments featured at both the Kennett Brew Fest and the Fermentation Festival. Inspired by the buzz of community surrounding the fermentation extravaganza that took place in Kennett Square last weekend(click here to see lots of wonderful pictures of the fermentation festival), I have spent these past few rainy days experimenting with the fermentation process here at the farm. I turned the left over CSA share produce into sauerkraut and kimchi. I am hardening cider (glenn willow sells unpasteurized cider if you are interested) and have started my own ginger bug (to mix with new favorite Root). With the exception of the rather strong sulfurous odor that escapes from the newly capped jars of kimchi and sauerkraut each time a check the fizzy brew of cabbage, radish, ginger, and daikon--its been a fun process. The "cultivation" of good bacteria and fungus in the process of making these very live and delicious foods is the perfect indoor activity for one who likes to be doing the very same thing in the garden soil. A most appropriate rainy day activity for a farmer.

So what's the big deal about fermented food? I think both the cultural and health benefits are summed up quite well on the website of Zukay Live Foods, a participant and sponsor of the Fermentation Festival. Fermenting food has long been a way to both preserve food and make the nutrients more readily available to the body. My field guides to the fermentation process have been both Sallon Fallon's Nourishing Traditions and the essential Wild Fermentation by fermentation guru Sandor Katz (both of these great books are available at Harvest Market Natural Foods in Hockessin, a co-sponsor of the Fermentation Festival). Wild Fermentation is also a great website, if you are interested in fermentation its is an amazing resource. To quote Sandor from the intro to his book "This book is my song of praise and devotion to fermentation. For me, fermentation is a health regimen, a gourmet art, a multicultural adventure, a form of activism, and a spiritual path, all rolled into one."

So I too have been singing the praises of fermented food--imagine a life without beer, wine, cheese, cured meats, bread, yogurt, and yes sauerkraut, kombucha, and kimchi--and beyond these essentials to our diet and health, what has been become very apparent in this fermentation journey of mine--is the connection between the culture of foods and culture of community. As I said before I am still basking in the buzz and bubble of this new group of enthusiastic fermenters and their contribution to our community, a process that is already making me healthier, happier, and ready for the winter.

Read all about the amazing community in the links below:

Recap of the Fermentation Festival from Flow of Love blog and Earth Mama blog

Great article from CCDwell along with a Fermented Carrot Recipe.

Pickle recipe from the Farmers' Daughter

Finally a very interesting article(and some good recipes) about the "economics" of fermentation.

Fermentation Festival this Friday

As I mentioned in the last post, I am very excited for the First Annual East Coast Fermentation Festival, taking place during the Kennett Square Farmers Market this Friday, October 9th from 2-6PM (rain or shine). The festival will be composed of two areas of special displays, tastings, and information along with all the great regular and first Friday market vendors. The first area of note--is the "Drinkable Garden" located between the parking garage and the entrance to the Genesis Health Ventures. For a mere $3 (and an id proving you are 21 years of age or older) you will be able to sample from a great line up of local beer, wine and spirits-- including Victory, Twin Lakes, Stargazers Winery, and the extremely interesting and fairly new Root (and root beer tasting liquor). Also in the area will be tastings from Talulas and a fun interactive display from Rolling Barrel events.

Moving down the side walk you will be able to enjoy the music of Hezekiah Jones from 3-4PM and then Spinning Leaves from 5-6PM located directly across from the Genesis Health Ventures entrance.

The remainder of alley and then all of State Street will be filled with regular farmers market vendors, the perfect place to stock up on fall treats like pumpkins, apples, cabbage, some of which you might be inspired to ferment--perhaps your own hard cider brew or the perfect sauerkraut for an octoberfest celebration.

The final area of note will be located across the street in the area between Newtons and Bedbugzz--the extension of the brick alley way we have appropriately named "Fermentation Alley". This area will be filled demonstrations, tastings, and the opportunity to learn more about home fermentation with on hand experts from Harvest Market Natural Foods, April Coburn Herbwyfe, Zukay live foods, and Home Sweet Home Brew. We will even have ceramic mug makers Tom Hitner and Lyla Kaplan on hand to provide the perfect receptacle for your homemade brew. So bring your check book and your questions and get ready to learn everything there is to know about the magical, delicious, and healthful world of fermentation.

For a listing of the demonstration schedule stay tuned to the Farmers Market Blog.

Fall Events--A celebration of the season's bounty

Happy October everyone! The month of October ushers in a myriad of fall harvest celebrations including the Unionville Community Fair, Chadds Ford Days, and the Kennett Brew Fest. Before the month gets away from me, I want to take this time to highlight some events that you might not be familiar with.

The first is the Camphill Village Kimberton Hills Hoedown. Organized by a good friend--this family friendly event starts at 3PM and includes great music, food, and people, all in an breathtakingly bucolic setting. For a complete line up click here.

For those looking to continue the spirit of farm fresh food and bucolic settings this year's PASA Harvest Dinner will take place at Longwood Gardens on Saturday, October 10th. If the fundraising dinner is a too little rich for your blood (although I cannot say enough about the good work of pasa), check out the Guided Walk of Sustainable Longwood on that same Saturday afternoon. Get a behind the scenes tour from CSA member and longwood employee Tom Brightman!

If you are feeling very gourmet and very generous, Historic Kennett Square is hosting its Enchanted Evening on Friday, October 9th at 7PM in the Genesis Health Ventures Building. It too is for a great cause--Historic Kennett Square is the fiscal agent for the farmers market and includes food from Talula's Table, local beer, not so local wine, and the music of local favorites the Sin City Band.


Last, but certainly not least is the Kennett Square Fermentation Festival also happening Friday, October 9th at the Kennett Square Farmers Market. I cannot tell you how excited I am about this informative festival--I am a big fan of fermentation--from beer to sauerkraut, from kombucha to cheese--its a magical and healthful process that I will blogging about next week...so stay tuned. In the meantime clear your friday, october 9th, we have been working hard to put together a great afternoon of events. The perfect way to celebrate the Fall!